U.S. law enforcement officials announced on Thursday the arrest of nearly 300 members of MS-13, a violent gang the Trump administration has vowed to get off America's streets.
The arrests were made in recent weeks as part of a major anti-gang crackdown. Led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the operation swept up 214 MS-13 members in the United States and 53 members in El Salvador, the gang's home base, officials said.
The two-phase operation, aimed at MS-13 members and their global financial networks, was begun under the administration of former President Barack Obama but has escalated under President Donald Trump.
The initial, 18-month phase ended in September and netted 51 arrests in El Salvador, officials said at a news conference in Washington.
The second phase, running from October 8 to November 11, resulted in the latest arrests in the United States and El Salvador.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions touted the arrests as an important step in the Trump administration's effort to stamp out MS-13, whose members have been implicated in a series of high-profile murders around the country.
